Srinagar, Aug 16: In a stunning revelation, the Jammu & Kashmir government has laid bare that 91 official websites remain non-operational in the Union Territory.
In a response to an RTI application filed by Syed Adil, an activist from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the Jammu & Kashmir e-Governance Agency (JaKeGA) has revealed that 91 government websites are down due to the non-availability of ‘Safe to Host’ certificates.
A “Safe to Host certificate” is essentially a security clearance for a website or web application. It confirms that the digital platform has been thoroughly tested and is free from vulnerabilities.
The JaKeGA has further revealed that the websites were taken offline because the concerned departments failed to conduct mandatory security audits.
The mandatory security audits of these websites are being undertaken by Computer Emergency Response Team-In empanelled agencies. “In addition, websites already hosted by the Jammu & Kashmir State Data Centre and lacking a ‘safe to host’ certificate are being audited by the third-party auditor, M/S Grant Thornton, appointed by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir,” reads the response from JaKeGA’s administrative officer, who also serves as its Public Information Officer (PIO) under the RTI Act.
To a query whether any temporary or alternative arrangements had been made to make available online services offered through these websites, JaKeGA dodged the question, saying, “The information in this regard can be provided by the concerned departments.”
These websites have been inaccessible since the first week of May, affecting delivery of services to public.
Syed Adil slammed the government’s failure to restore these websites.
“It has been officially revealed that 91 websites are down, but the actual number could be around 150,” he said. “There has been little follow-up from the government to restore these websites, which reflects a lack of seriousness.”
J&K’s minister for Information Technology (IT), Satish Sharma couldn’t be contacted for comments.
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